Have you ever seen the northern lights?

[hyphenate]

aka the Aurora Borealis.

I did, on one of our summers at my grandfather's farm in Nova Scotia. It--They were beautiful. The colors, the wonder of them is amazing. Another event we used to experience a lot was heat lightning. It's definitely something everyone should see at least once.

[midnight armadillo]

1. yes

while sitting in a hot tub in Iceland, listening to tales of Icelandic trolls.

[tyedyeto]

2. One of my 'MUST SEE' events on my list

When? I have no idea. Living in So AZ doesn't get me any closer to that event.

[pokerfan]

25. Many many times

including one time from Kitt Peak near Tuscon.

Yeah, yeah, we had elevation, but it was directly overhead and even extended to the south.

I see them all the time in the NW. The best was probably August 11, 1994. I had taken a canoe to a remote lake in BC to watch the Perseid meteor shower and the aurora upstaged it. Spotlights shooting up into space. Pulsating curtains directly overhead. Lots of reds and greens.

It literally makes the ol' neck hair stand up. Something hardwired into out brains after a few hundred thousand years.

Check this page daily. It will let you know how far south the auroral oval is extending each evening.
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/

[tyedyeto]

28. Thank you for the link

I will add it to my bookmarks and will check it frequently.

[pokerfan]

30. This is kinda cool

http://www.spaceweatherphone.com/

There are also free email alert sites if you look around.

[City Lights]

3. Once.

It was spectacular. I was totally not expecting to see them and when I looked up at the sky, the first thing I thought of was the space ship from Close Encounters. I just sat there in the car in complete amazement.

My husband also saw them from an airplane.

[u4ic]

4. Yes

I lived in Northern Alberta for a couple of years; it was a nightly ritual.

There was a large park just on the outskirts of town that I would go and park; it afforded a beautiful view of them.

We also had a spectacular night last year in Edmonton; I have never seen so many Northern Lights - the sky was filled with them. It was truly a magical evening; I stayed up till about 3 am, outside, watching them. There were separate bands in the east, north, west, right above me, very bright even right in the city. (didn't have a camera at the time, though...)

This may well have been an image from that eveing:

[bigwillq]

5. No

:(

[DemoTex]

6. Many times .. but the best was when Hale-Bopp was in the sky.

I took-off out of New York (LGA) in a Boeing 737-300 about 9:00 pm one night for a short hop to Buffalo. We punched through the last layer of clouds at about 20,000 feet. As we climbed to FL280, I noticed a fingernail moon in the western sky with the Hale-Bopp comet very predominant off the lower cusp of the moon.

Then I saw the Aurora Borealis off to the north. It was a sheet of blood-red and green color, slowly dancing on the northern horizon. I picked-up the P/A microphone and made an announcement to the passengers. Boston Center let us do a bunch of turns, to put all of the spectacles on both sides of the airplane.

I then called the lead flight attendant and invited them up into the cockpit, one at a time, to see the sky. The last F/A up was a new-hire. She was smacking gum and said, "What's up?" I pointed out the moon, Hale-Bopp, and the Northern Lights. She replied, "So?" I said, "Nevermind."

[Aristus]

9. Oh, Mac. What a way to rain on your parade.

Are there really people so devoid of imagination and a sense of wonder?

[DemoTex]

13. Only a few ..

Hale-Bopp had been in the sky for a few weeks. As luck had it, I was flying a line of west coast trips with late departures from PHL to SFO. I bought a nice set of Nikon binocs just for those trips.

I saw more of Hale-Bopp than most people in the USA even thought about. But once the night was dark, the movie was over, and the cabin lights were dim, I did the obligatory turns to put the comet in view of all who wanted to take a peek. They loved it!

Also, 99.9% of the flight attendants love the invite to the cockpit to see something that the cockpit crew thinks is interesting, either in the sky or on the ground. We didn't holler "wolf", so most of the time the F/A's loved our show-and-tell.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. Yes, every winter.

[u4ic]

8. You and cleofus

would have the best view of all! :-)

[Aristus]

10. I saw them for several nights running when my Army unit was

on maneuvers up in Canada in 1993.

We were at a vast Canadian Army base about two hundred miles north of Edmonton. Great tank country. One of the best field exercises I'd ever been a part of.

Guard duty was an absolute joy for once. I'd stand in the turret cupola of my tank and stare slack-jawed at the gorgeous colors and patterns. It was amazing and very beautiful. I'm not ashamed to say I shed a few tears in the presence of such overwhelming beauty. In a poem I wrote later about the experience, I referred to the Aurora as "curtains in the windows of Heaven".

[u4ic]

17. Cold Lake, I presume

I hope you post that poem, Aristus! I, for one, would love to read it.

I love your choice of words. Curtains in the window of heaven. Marvellous. :-)

[Aristus]

19. Hmm. I'd have to find it first, u4ic.

I scratched it into a grubby little Army-issue notebook that I had been using to write down radio frequencies and operation orders. It's probably stashed away in the bottom of a storage tote with a lot of my old Army mementos out in the garage somewhere. The 'curtains' line is the only part I remember.

[achtung_circus]

32. Probably Wainwright.

Cold Lake is a small base, a fighter base. There is the very close Primrose Lake Air Weapons Range but no one would describe that as good, let alone great tank country.

When I lived near Lamont, just past Fort Saskatchewan, they were sometimes a nightly experience.

[Joey Liberal]

11. Yes

Beautiful.

[idgiehkt]

12. no

and I do want to before I die. they actually showed up here once about a year ago, but my stupid behind slept through it.

[ComerPerro]

14. I never ever saw the Northern Lights

never really heard of cluster flies....

[Broken_Hero]

15. Yes, quite a few times

we usually see them a few times a year in SE Alaska.

[WCGreen]

16. Three times...

Once on a crisp clear fall night in Indiana....

I caught a glimps when leaving the radio station I worked for, way after midnight...

I just drove far out in the country, pulled off the road, turned off my lights and watched the sky dance for about a half hour oe so...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. I have never seen them.........

And oh my god, I really really want to!

The photographer and the poet in me are dying to see them!

LA is just too far south, damn it!

All of you who have seen them.........count your blessings!

:bounce: :bounce:

[freethought]

20. Once, during college and again not too long ago.

Amherst, MA. I was driving to my apartment in another town. It was a rural road and there were hardly any lights on the road or nearby. As I was driving the sky and surrounding are seemed to start glowing red. I pulled over got out and watched the show.
Truly spectacular, reds, greens, hanging curtains of light that would form and disappear and reform.
I wish I could see a similar display again.
The second time was in Maine where I live now. Local news reports stated that an aurora display was likely but it would be at some ridiculous hour in the am. I had to be at work so I was up anyway.
I was able to get a good look at it but it was not nearly as spectacular as the one I had seen in college.
There was a possible third time. I'm uncertain since the other auroras I had seen were both witnessed
late in the year either coming into winter or during winter. This third sort of display was in the "dog days" of summer and I saw them at night from a large boat a few miles offshore. It had the same "hanging curtain of light" look to it but it did not have nearly as spectacular a color or as bright.
The other auroras were all around you, whatever this was it was visible in the lower part of the western sky. I do remember it seemed to last quite for some time. Maybe it was that "heat lightning" mentioned. Maybe you meant "sheet lightning" instead?

[hyphenate]

26. The lightning

was by itself, on many different occasions, with no rain. Just hot summer days. My grandfather's farm was on Cape Breton Island, so we were right near the Atlantic. From the house, the view in front was west--the house was facing the inner side of the harbor. The heat lightning just lit up the sky on a regular basis. From what I understand, it's regular lightning, just way too far away to hear the thunderclaps and it's got a reddish tinge instead of a blue, wet one.

[erinlough]

21. I've seen them

here in Michigan. One night in the fall they were covering the sky, changing and glowing. These were green and red but others I have seen are white only. I always go outside on clear frosty nights to look at the stars (fall stars are the best) and that is when I have been privileged to see them.

[Vidar]

22. several times

[GirlinContempt]

23. All the time

well, not ALL the time, but I've seen em lots and lots

[auntAgonist]

24. many times ...

Once was especially memorable. It was when I was trucking North of Edmonton Alberta heading West to British Columbia. In the middle of the night, it was as bright and beautiful as I'd ever seen 'them'.

They were always visible in Northern Ontario too between Hurst, Longlac and further up towards Kenora.

aA

[sarge43]

27. Yes and they are wondrous

I had the good luck once to see a display that covered almost all the sky. :wow:

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

29. No, I never have but Mr. Wonderful has many times when

he lived in Northern Ireland.

He said "they're a sight to see". I'm hoping this Christmas when we're visting again, I might get a glimpse.

I'll have to remember to bring the NOAA website referred to upthread with me to check.

"Curtains in the windows of Heaven", gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!!!!

[Pierre.Suave]

31. Yes, quite frequently

I grew up in MN, and spent a lot of time up north. They are amazing.

[MorningGlow]

33. Wow, thanks for the reminder

I saw them once here in western NY, many years ago (yikes--20 years ago?)--I was apprenticing at a summer-stock theater out in the boonies and was driving back home after a show with another apprentice, a great friend I lost touch with long ago (but shouldn't have). We saw a green glow beyond the hills and for a second I thought it was city-light light pollution...until I realized we were still far away from any large city. We pulled over and boggled. They weren't the really flashy, dramatic kind--just a moving green and white glow--but it was a very special moment in a very special summer. A great memory.

[dpbrown]

34. Lots of times - lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota most of my life

I used to see them just driving home from work or taking an evening drive. Seen them camping, just sitting in the house, walking around, you name it.

[Shine]

35. No, but I'd LOVE to someday...

I agree, everyone should see it at least once in one's lifetime....

:hi:

[Fox Mulder]

36. I live in rural Minnesota. I see them all the time.

:)

They are one of the best sights I have ever seen.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

37. Yes.

The Northern Lights have seen queer sights
But the queerest they ever did see
Was the night on the marge of Lake LeBarge
I cremated Sam McGee

Now Sam McGee was from Tennessee..

[sarge43]

38. OK, when you saw the lights, did you hear anything?

Scientists poo-poo the notion that the Aurora Borealis produces sounds that we can hear. However, people from Day One have said they heard something and it tends to be consistent report - a very faint hissing, crackling noise. The few time I've seen them, I think I've heard it.

[laundry_queen]

40. I've heard of this.

But can't say I've ever heard any noises, and I've seen the northern lights too many times to count. Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention.

[laundry_queen]

39. Many times.

I lived in Northern Alberta (1 hr from the NWT border) and far north BC for many years. It WAS (is) nearly a nightly occurance in the fall. I also grew up in Edmonton, and saw them more than a few times a year, although they are quite less brilliant than up north. They are still awe inspiring no matter how many times I see them. The coolest ones I've seen were on Christmas eve, 1999.

[B Calm]

41. I spent an entire month at the top of the world when I was in the Navy

We sailed the Artic Ocean for thirty days in August 1972. After sea exercises we sailed to Rotterdam, Holland. Took many of train rides from Rotterdam to Amsterdam.

[av8rdave]

42. I used to fly a lot of Anchorage trips

The aurora were always a highlight

[MikeH]

43. I used to see them when I lived near Chicago

Having lived in San Diego, CA for many years, I have not seen the northern lights any time recently. However I definitely remember seeing them when I lived in one of the Chicago suburbs.

I remember that as a teenager in the 1960's I liked to listen to distant radio stations on the AM dial. One time I remember during the northern lights I was easily able to pick up southern stations but was not able to pick up northern stations that I was usually able to pick up. And there was less interference on local channels; I was able to hear some local stations at night which I normally could not hear due to interference from other local stations of the same frequency.

And I do remember seeing heat lightning on summer evenings in the Chicago area.

[LNM]

44. Only slight glimpses

I've lived in Mn. all my life and have only seen smattering Northern Lights. Hope to see some soon on a trip to the BWCAW.